Bag of Chips
by Namesake
Summary: Because you can never stop with just one. A Collection of drabbles and oneshots featuring any and all characters and situations. Each story has it's own summary and rating.
1. Hunting: SephCloud

This is going to be a collection of drabbles and or one-shots done for the areyougame community on insanejournal that I'm a member of. Some might get expanded if the fancy strikes.

** WARNING!! : **Each oneshot will have _its own RATING._ Please don't flame me for not expecting the content that was in it because you didn't read the given rating. ** / WARNING **

* * *

**Title:** Hunting  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Deviousness on all involved except an oblivious Zack  
**Word count:** 266  
**Prompt:** -July 6--- Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth/Cloud: predatory behaviour – The way that he was so nervous just made it worse  
**

* * *

**

The way that he was so nervous just made it worse. Everytime green eyes would pick out the chocobo-like youth, the Cadet would make the most interesting noise and somehow hide in plain sight; be it behind someone—Strife was rediculously small—or something. Sometimes the youth would assume a stance and seemingly fade into shadows like the Turks did. All it did was make the chase more fun.

Every one of Strife's defensive behaviours had something within him purring. Why, he wasn't too sure yet, but to find out, Sephiroth was pretty sure he needed to get into close quarters with the blond.

Making up his mind, perhaps he'd get Zack invovled. The First Class thought that he needed more social interaction.

Plan forming, the General smiled as he left his office.

----------

Cloud looked desperately at Zack as Sephiroth—the General—lounged against the wall, posture screaming, "predator!" and it was everything Cloud could do to not run. "Zack?"

The First smiled. "I have a mission with some Turks. I don't know when I'll be back. Seph said he'd take over your sword play while I was gone," the older youth explained.

_Well fuck,_ Cloud thought when he saw the amusement dance in those deceptively beautiful green eyes. He was well and truly caught. As Zack left and Sephiroth advanced upon him, Cloud finally gave into the voice in his head that had been screaming _"run!"_ at him, knowing, as he heard the deep chuckle behind him and the flap of leather, that it was useless.

He had no idea how right he was.


	2. Misplaced Assassin: Vincent

**Title:** Misplaced Assassin  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** language  
**Word count:** 416  
**Prompt:** - July 15 --Final Fantasy VII, Vincent: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Should he check? What if he...no...he should really check  
**A/N:** inspired by the writings of Staci-Diane603 and their story Set Me Up In Slow Motion Playback....it's a very amusing read. A lovely piece of satire if you like that kinda thing.

Vincent was tapping his fingers against his arm under, not that anyone could see his brand of nervous tick; his bloody-scarlet cape successfully hid it from view. He was waiting for Cid to land the Shera so he could get on with this damn mission from Reeve.

_Even if I would like to believe in their good intentions,_ he herd Reeve's voice repeat in his head, _if something does go wrong, you have a better chance at defusing the situation than most._

Vincent sneered at his reflection, red eyes narrowing over the cowl of his cape; the garment effectively hiding the rest of his expression from view. Not that the crew would have gone running in fear or anything—some of his teeth could be classified as fangs by the general populace—but they probably would have freaked nonetheless due to him showing something more than a pokerface.

It was when he had to forcibly stop tapping his foot that he violently pushed himself away from the railing and headed across the bridge in a swirl of red cape.

"I'm ah tell ya again, Vincent," Cid barked in his rough voice. "Yer guns ain't going nowhere."

Vincent paused long enough for his cape to settle around him. From the corner of his red eyes, the ex-Turk examined the pilot.

"I'm just going to check the lock," he spoke in that voice all Turks did when they had ulterior motives.

Unluckily for Vincent, Cid had had too many dealings with Reno as of late. The pilot's face looked angry, but it was clear his eyes were full of laughter. "Then ya go do that. Wouldn'a want yer guns ta myst'riously go missing."

Vincent had the distinct impression he was being humoured.

With a barely audible growl and a dramatic swirl of red cape, Vincent stalked back to Holding where his chest of guns were; his hearing enhanced enough to hear Cid's chuckles for most of the trip. The chest opened with a soft "click" after a complicated series of combinations were put into it. Red eyes lovingly took in the thirteen beautiful works of art that were his guns; Cerberus being on top in a special case he had custom made for it. The rest were in various cases and wrappings for protection.

_"Initiating landing sequence! Please secure yourself for landing!"_ a much too happy female voice chirped over the intercom.

Vincent snarled and bared his teeth.

…who in Ifrit's fiendfyre sent an assassin to peace talks?


	3. Voyueristic Intentions: ZackCloud

**Title:** Voyeuristic Intentions  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** kissing?  
**Word count:** 247  
**Prompt:** -July 13--Final Fantasy VII, Zack/Cloud: chocobos – "Zack! I think they're watching us!"  
**A/N:** Chocobo names are from Ciceqi's 'verses. Go read them if you haven't. If you're interested, the rough draft, which is completely different, will be posted in my journal.

Cloud ardently returned Zack's heated kisses. Fridays his squad cleaned out the chocobo stables. With nothing to do afterward, he usually hung around and groomed Djarfr and skritched Skadi if she was in a good mood. When Zack had shown up as his squadmates left, the smouldering look in his eyes told him that Djarfr wouldn't be getting his rub down. Zack had pounced on him as soon as he was sure none of his squadmates would come back and proceeded to ravish him.

He gasped as Zack moved to his neck and his coherent thoughts were scattered to the four winds. "Zack!" Cloud couldn't help the moan that escaped his mouth. His head hit the back of the empty stall with a hollow thunk. Zack's hands roamed lower. Cloud moaned, rather loudly; his head thrashing as he tried to hold more sounds at bay.

It was when he froze that Zack's attention was diverted from his activities. "Cloud?"  
"Zack!" Cloud whispered furtively. "I think they're watching us!"

Purple-grey met sky blue before glancing across the stable corridor. Curious deep blue eyes were paired with a focused green pair; Skadi and Djarfr. Zack couldn't help but laugh as he rebuckled Cloud's fatigues. Gently tugging on Cloud's hand, the First Class SOLDIER led Cloud to a ladder and into the hayloft. "There, now we have some privacy."

The General found them a few hours later, sleeping in the hayloft of all places, when he returned from exercising Draugr.


	4. Just Another Day: RenoRufus

**Title:** Just Another Day  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** coarse language, drinking, rough/forceful foreplay  
**Word count:** 496  
**Prompt:** -July 20--- Final Fantasy VII, Rufus/Reno: better than it should be - I hate everything about you; Why do I love you?  
**A/N:** Based loosely on the world created by kremesch in The Dance of the Macabre. A very good read if you haven't read it yet. Title is from an Aunt Ange song from the album "Apathia".

Reno scowled as he smoked on Rufus' balcony. The little fucker had had the audacity to move him into his own suite of rooms after he had hired that other Turk to increase their numbers. Taking a swallow of scotch, the redhead just couldn't understand why the blond asshole couldn't put him in another room somewhere else in the Tower.

The prick's excuse? _"If I left you somewhere with no supervision, you're bound to cause me endless amounts of trouble. Just think of all the paperwork that would cause."_

Reno snarled as he threw back the rest of his scotch and went in search of that two hundred gil bottle he had bought the other day. Taking some leftovers out of the fridge, he nibbled on some rice balls he had made Rufus for lunch the day before, the redhead threw himself unceremoniously onto the black leather couch that Rufus refused to let him bounce on.

…not that he ever bounced on it when said person was gone, mind you.

He supposed that his situation was better than it should be. He could still be under the Plate, doing who knows what with surely not the most trustworthy people running from those he was currently employed among. On another note, the boss stuck his neck out for him even if it looked like he didn't…even if he got a load of shit over it. _Come to think of it,_ Reno thought as he swilled his drink, _the blond prick hardly does fuckall over some of the shit I pull._

The few hours it took Rufus to wind down shooting his gun down at the range, something he did every night, Reno had managed to get himself wound up and thoroughly drunk. Green eyes watched as Rufus meticulously removed his jacket and hung it up, wrinkling his nose when he saw Reno's haphazardly thrown over the back of a chair this time. He sniffed at Reno's unkempt look.

"I see you're as well dressed as always," Rufus drawled.

"Fuck off," Reno snarled, baring his teeth. "S'not like ya give a shit when there ain't anyone ta see!"

"I see you're in a good mood."

"For fuck's sake!"

The lapels of his shirt were grabbed as Rufus violently dragged him off the couch, spilling his drink everywhere, and was shoved up against a wall. His head might have hit a bit too hard, but with all the alcohol saturating his system, it was a wonder he could think yet alone form coherent sentences. Rufus violently brought their mouths together, searing and demanding. Teeth clicked, tongues fought, and Reno found himself clutching the front of Rufus' suit.

They broke apart, each slightly breathless.

"I hate you," Reno softly said, foot brushing against the slider glass that had been otherwise occupying his attention moments before.

"I know," Rufus softly replied.

Reno thought, as he allowed Rufus to kiss him again, _why do I love you? _

Something he'd never say aloud.


	5. Forever Together: RufusDN

**Title:** Forever Together  
**Rating:** PG  
**Warnings:** Angst and spontaneity  
**Word count:** ~1250  
**Prompt:** Final Fantasy VII, Rufus and Dark Nation (gen, obviously, I hope): his only real friend - I used to call your name when no one else would come.  
**Summary:** Rufus remembers the good times with Dark Nation after a day gone horribly wrong (It's all thanks to the Science Department, really) and the public showings he has to do this month require him to be at a dog show: just the place he wants to be.  
**A/N:** The monetary system I'm going on is 1.00 USD = 100 gil. I guess even though I like angst, I also like happy endings.

It had been a bad day, one ranked as the lowest of the lows. Nothing had gone right. Two of his appoints had been double-booked, causing them to either be short or rescheduled. One dignitary from someplace on the other Continent hadn't even bothered to show for his appointment, which ended up being okay since the next one had shown up nearly an hour early thinking she was late. Then the power had gone out on his floor due to some experiment the science department was conducting that hadn't ended up working. That had taken up the rest of his afternoon with his secretary having to cancel and reschedule those appoints that were wrecked.

To top it off he had to make an appearance at the Midgar Champion Cup; a dog show that had apparently been going on in Midgar for a few years now. A few new breeds were going to be premiered tonight and, for public appearances sake, he couldn't very well deny attending now despite having had such a shit day.

He had a special box seat with other important officials. The Terriers went by, the Toys—which he really didn't see the point of. What was the use of a dog that barely reached mid shin in height? Non-Sporting, Herding, Sporting; those dogs were more interesting. Then the Hound group went and the Working dogs.

A few of the new breeds were in the Hound and Working groups. The breeders were, surprisingly, from Midgar and he was somewhat familiar with the names. They had crossed Guard Hounds with local breeds to get a large dog that specialized in protecting family and property—it was apparently very good with chocobos. One breeder who tested their mettle at an up and coming chocobo ranch apparently spoke that four of his dogs fought of a small pack of Vladkoros. It was when one of the last dogs came into the ring that he was entranced.

_Dark Nation_, Rufus thought to himself, for indeed, the dog looked like his mutated Guard Hound. He was obviously missing the signature whip-like protrusion Guard Hounds sported, but his half-tail, thick neck, green eyes and dark coat were all reminding him of his loyal friend. He had no doubt that that dog would win the best in breed and wasn't surprised when the judge picked the dog.

The announcer called that tomorrow would be the best in show competition. Rufus, along with everyone else, made his way home.  


* * *

As Rufus nursed a glass of vodka, the man looked at the framed pictures that were on the end table by the sofa. One was of him and Dark Nation, the other was of the dog; pose of poise and perfection. Ears perked forward, green eyes stared knowingly into the camera. As he took a sip, he seemed to recall that the photographer who had done the shoot hadn't photographed dogs again.

Dark Nation had always been there, even when no one else could. When the Turks couldn't be there because of something his father had said or was doing—the President was more important than his heir—or he hadn't wanted to be around anyone. Being sick, no one was allowed to see him other than his doctors…

…or Hojo.

Throwing back his drink, the ShinRa president took the photos and looked at them more closely. Dark Nation, a loyal friend, had always known when he was wanted. He had always been there; no sense of decorum or appearance had been necessary. Even when he hadn't been able to say his name all the way, the dog had come. The dog had been told all his secrets, everything that he couldn't say to anyone for fear of retribution from his father or someone else; back in those days, ShinRa hadn't exactly been safe.

He realized that he missed that; the absolute loyalty and love that Dark Nation had bestowed upon him without question. Turks would come and go in all matter of states of health with Dark Nation ignoring them—some covered in blood; only respecting him enough to get up from what he was doing to greet him and see if he was all right. He would lay at his feet as he did paperwork, he got pleasure out of a pat or tickling Reno's ankles with his neck-whip during briefings and meetings.

Rufus suddenly realized that he missed his Hound more than he thought he had. With things finally settling down after the Crisis, he missed the easy-going nature of Dark Nation, the presence he had in a room. The knowing look he would give him when he tried to hide something. The growl-purr he would make when you rubbed his stomach…

Perhaps he'd get a dog; he had seen some good breeds at the show. Tseng would hate it.  


* * *

"I still don' see why ya had ta bring me along, boss," Reno drawled as he stood behind Rufus' seat at the show.

"You know a Turk has to be with me at all times when I'm out in public," Rufus admonished as he watched the goings on about him. "You should be glad that I talked Tseng down to just you; he wanted you to head a team."

Reno made a face behind his sunglasses.

The announcer started the show and they watched the groups come and go. When the Working Group came out, he heard a soft, "Dark Nation" from Reno. It was true, the dog was pure grace. The dog, ironically named Dark Night, won the group, and was runner up for the Best in Show, getting hedged out by some breed from the Northern Continent. Rufus didn't like it's icy-blue stare as he descended down among the handlers to greet them and their dogs, Reno right behind him.

"Your dog moves well," Rufus said to the handler-breeder.

"President ShinRa!" the woman exclaimed. "Tina Foxglove! It's an honour!"

"I'm surprised how much he doesn't look like Guard Hounds," Rufus carefully replied.

"We know that Guard Hounds were created by ShinRa, and can be pretty feral," Ms. Foxglove replied, "we try to just breed for their attitude and not their physical characteristics."

"Is that so?"

"We've learned that the ones who develop the Guard's whip are usually more aggressive than the ones who don't, like Night here."

"She's a beautiful dog," Rufus replied as he held out his hand. The dog delicately sniffed it before bowing her head to allow him to pet her. Her handler looked a bit surprised before Rufus continued, "where did you get your Guard stock?"

"We caught them in the slums after Meteor," Ms. Foxglove replied. She began walked back to where she had set up to get ready to clean up. "One of the ones caught was larger than the rest, and seemed more dangerous, than the others; not feral exactly, but like he was waiting for something."

"Interesting," Rufus replied as they reached her area. A growl brought Rufus' attention away from Ms. Foxglove to dark shape with glowing eyes.

"Don't mind him," she replied. "He's only manageable with his sister around. I'd usually have the ones with whips either culled or neutered, but he's perfectly fine around his sister."

Rufus looked into the carrier. The light that managed to illuminate the dark shape showed a muzzle over the dog's face. "Would you like to say hello?" Rufus asked, holding out his hand.

"I wouldn't recommend that, sir," Ms. Foxglove replied, but the dog came out of the carrier, hackles half up, neck whip lashing, and half-tail stiff. What had Rufus was the dog's eyes.  
They weren't the same colour green as Dark Nation's, but they were green. _Some of Hojo's specimens did escape when Sephiroth attacked and when Meteor destroyed the Tower._ The breeder was surprised when the male's hackles went down and his tail began to wag.

"I'll pay you double of what his sister is worth if I can walk out of here with him," Rufus replied as the dog sat placidly by his feet. He thought he heard a sharp intake of breath from Reno, but he didn't care; this dog was his and he wasn't taking no for an answer.

"That would be 320,000 gil," his breeder breathed. "Are you sure, Mr. President?"  
Rufus had already signed the cheque and filled out the amount. "Do I make it out to you or your kennel?"

"My name would be fine," Ms. Foxglove replied, in shock. With the tearing of the check, she seemed to come back to reality, unlatching the muzzle and hooking a leash onto the collar. She pulled papers out of a case. Rufus gave all the papers to Reno. They watched as the dogs touched noses.

"It was a pleasure," Rufus said as he left.

They had gotten to the car before Rufus' curiosity piqued enough to inquire about the dog's name. Reno flipped through the documents as the driver started the car and abruptly laughed.

"The mongrel's name is Dark Nation," Reno replied as he handed the papers to Rufus.  
The President looked at them, and sure enough, the Dobherd Hound's name was Dark Nation.

He watched the dog curl up next to his feet and the neck-whip slowly make its way to Reno's pant's line.


	6. Forever Together: SCZA

**Title:** Forever Together  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings**: food and fun..sexual situations and nekkidness  
**Word count:** 667  
**Prompt:** -July31---- Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth/Zack/Cloud/Aeris: sated and satisfied – They didn't all get together often, so they made the most of the time they had.  
**Summary**: Sephiroth finally has a routine down when he manages to get a hint of a day off.  
**A/N:** I based it kinda in ciceqi's mascotverse. And I have made apple walnut crumble caramel things; they are delicious.

They didn't all get together often, so they made the most of the time they had. On the off chance that they all had a day off, Sephiroth would turn off his PHS and text Zack on a special one he got for days off—if he was honest with himself, it was truly Zack who had shoved the extra phone into his hand and explained its usage. Zack would then call Aeris who had already somehow known that she would need all manner of baked goods for the day, in her uncanny way of knowing too much about everything, and pick up Cloud before the trooper was properly awake. If they were lucky they would have a car, if not, they paired up on their beasts of motorcycles and sped as quickly out of town as they could.

Now, as the sun set over the plains, the remains of their picnic and apple walnut caramel crumble thing pie still sitting on their picnic blanket, Sephiroth couldn't be happier. The blond sleeping in his lap probably had something to do with his contentment. Cloud had had a rough day the day before—the tail-end of their physical tests for the spring—so he was rather exhausted, but had managed to have a good time.

"Hey! Seph!"

Sephiroth scowled at Zack's happy shout, Cloud murmured something that sounded suspiciously like "flaming asstard" but Sephiroth couldn't be sure before the trooper lifted himself off the General's lap; not awake enough to realize where he'd been sleeping or else a pretty blush would have decorated his cheeks.

"Zack?"

"What is it Zackary?" Sephiroth inquired.

Zack made a face at the use of his full name, but it quickly dulled as his excitement came back full force. "Come see what Aeris found!" And like a puppy, he bounded back down the hill from whence he came.

Curious, Cloud looked at Sephiroth before carefully getting to his feet and following Zack. Sighing, the silver-haired SOLDIER followed after them. He stopped dead as he saw Cloud jump into a large pool of water.

…naked.

As he took in the sight, he saw three piles of clothes, and as the evening sun set to twilight, Aeris breached the surface of the water catching the last few rays of the sun; turning her hair from golden brown to burnished, bloody red before the sun faded away behind the mountains.

"C'mon Seph!" Zack encouraged. "You gotta be hot from sitting in your leathers all day in this heat."

Sephiroth did admit there was some truth in that statement.

"It's called skinny dipping," Aeris informed him. "It's when you go swimming in your birthday suit. Come on in! The water's really warm!"

He watched as Cloud nodded, agreeing with her. Sephiroth carefully examined each face, full of trust and hope that he'd join them. There couldn't possibly be anything wrong with this activity if they were so comfortable doing it, right?

And with that logic, the General carefully took off his leather coat, having forgone the shoulder pouldrons today, carefully folding it before unbuckling his boots and pulling those off. Then his leather pants slid off slim hips to reveal all of him in his pale glory as the moon crested the mountains in the east, making him look even more pale and ethereal than he already was. Ignoring the small gasp he heard, foregoing Cloud and Zack's method, Sephiroth carefully waded into the pool.

Indeed, it was quite warm.

"The temperature is surprisingly warm," Sephiroth spoke as his long hair floated about the surface of the water like captured moonlight.

Cloud had swam next to Aeris, both had dark, heated looks about their countenances. Zack, however, looked downright predatory as he advanced upon his person. "Have you ever played Choose A Pair?"

No he hadn't, and he told Zack so. The First's eyes darkened and dilated, while Aeris made some kind of squeaking noise.

Perhaps his evening was going to be more productive than he had anticipated.


	7. Sidetracked: RenoCloud

**Title:** Sidetracked   
**Rating:** M...very M  
**Warnings:** sex, kissing, foreplay...think that's it.  
**Word count:** 583  
**Prompt:**- Final Fantasy VII, Reno/Cloud: sex in an abandoned building - It left a sour taste in his mouth  
**Summary:** After a mission to an industrial city for pest control(read: drug dealer's getting a little too comfortable) on Reno's part, and a large delivery and monster extermination on Cloud's, they, amazingly enough, run into each other. With one high on adrenaline and the other with a slight case of fighter's high, nothing good can come of their meeting...or can it?  
**A/N:** Procrastinating. Oh, and there's some explicit sexual encounters in here; if the prompt didn't already give that away.

The fact that anything could be growing on the various surfaces inside the building left a sour taste in his mouth; not that it would truly affect him and his altered biology, but some things that you were raised to think about were always forefront in the mind.

The fact that Reno had just taken out a drug lab wasn't on his mind.

The fact that the building had been abandoned for about as long as he'd been alive wasn't on his mind.

The fact that the beams were a mixture of wood and steel and smelled quite interesting wasn't on his mind.

The redhead with a wicked tongue and a hot mouth around his cock had his mind drunk on pleasure.

Cloud moaned and swore as Reno's teeth nibbled on his head.

"Not yet," Reno replied, voice rough with lust as he released Cloud's erection. The blonde bit back on a whimper as the wonderful heat left, but considered it worthwhile as that hot, talented mouth sought his out. He gasped as hot hands found the zipper to his sweater vest and opened it to play with his nipples. Hands ran up his chest and down his shoulders, divesting Cloud of his top as tongues battled for dominance.

The rough cement felt good on Cloud's heated skin, adding a sharp contrast to his elevated temperature.

"Ramuh, you're a fucking fernace," Reno breathed, fishing through his suite jacket as he kissed down Cloud's neck to his shoulder.

"SOLDIERs all had elevated body temperatures," Cloud gasped out as Reno found a particularly sensitive area near his shoulder. Reno smirked as Cloud gasped again when his kiss turned a little more vicious; teeth marks evident in the other man's skin. Cloud gasped again as Reno's lube covered hands prompted his entrance. He expected Cloud's knee-jerk defensive action of flipping their positions—he'd probably never submit to anything willingly after Hojo—but Reno was prepared and, as his back viciously made contact with the cement, he used his momentum to flip them back, shoving his fingers into Cloud and stroking his prostate. Hard.

The blond's hoarse shout echoed in the building. It didn't take long after that before Reno was fucking Cloud into the wall; both being too hot and stressed from their respective jobs that had brought them out of Edge and Midgar to this dying, industrial town. When they both came in echoing shouts of pleasure, they paused to catch their breath before disentangling themselves from each other and starting to find their clothes.

"How the hell did you throw my shirt over here?" Cloud asked as he walked halfway across the room to find his sweater vest in a pool of…something.  
That something glowed.

Reno came over when Cloud was still half naked and staring at his shirt on the floor, lighting up a clove as he went. "Why ya ain't wearin' you're shirt yet? " the Turk ask as he inhaled a lungful of the spicy smoke.

"What kind of drugs did you say this syndicate was making?" Cloud inquired.

"Didn't," Reno succinctly replied. "Why?" Cloud just pointed and Reno saw the glowing, sludgy puddle. "Dude! It's, like, fucking glowing!" Reno crowed. "That's kinda cool." He took a hit of his clove as he glanced at Cloud who looked distinctly unamused.  
Reno just shrugged. "Well, it ain't my shirt so why should I care?"

Cloud gave an exasperated sigh. He was never going to have a tryst in an abandoned building again.


	8. Bedside Manner: CSA

AN: And an update on my birthday for all y'all. This one is the only KH one out there, but I didn't feel the need to make a new one for this since I probably most likely will never write it again. Besides, they're reminiscing about Nibelheim/their world.

* * *

**Title:** Bedside Manner  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** none amazingly enough  
**Word count:** 566  
**Prompt:** Feb 8 - Kingdom Hearts II, Cloud/Sephiroth/Aeris: hurt/comfort fixit - "What do you mean 'he doesn't remember Nibelheim?' ... ...What?"

Sephiroth blinked, green eyes blank with confusion. "What do you mean 'he doesn't remember Nibelheim?'……What?"

Aeris just gave him a patient look while Cloud slept on, oblivious to those in his room. "After his stint with the Dark, and with Hades, in return for power, he paid a price he probably isn't sure is worth it now."

"And that price was Nibelheim?" Sephiroth inquired, one leather clad glove fondling golden spikes of hair.

Aeris shook her head. "He doesn't _remember_ Nibelheim," the Ancient girl repeated. "He remembers his home, growing up in a mountain village, and his mother to a certain extent. He remembers Tifa from all the travelling they did together, but he doesn't remember Nibelheim. The Name of it was taken from him." She paused, unsure if she should continue, but Sephiroth gave her a look, and the girl nodded. "He's a bit skittish around fire, but he doesn't know why; says he's always not liked it."

Sephiroth looked at Cloud. He had returned covered in blood from a head wound that had made his hair appear almost the same colour as Sora's. Where he had gotten it from, they could only guess at, but Sephiroth could hardly believe that Cloud of all people would go to such lengths to beat the Darkness out of him…but, then again, he could. Zack had always been determined to the point of stubborn, and Cloud himself had been his own brand of stubborn. From what Aeris told him Hojo had done…

Tingling sensation made him shiver and he looked over at Aeris only to find her preening his wing. In his thoughts, he had let the feathered appendage materialize. "Don't worry; he'll get them back," Aeris soothed.

Sephiroth raised a brow. "What makes you say that?"

"I've gone looking," Aeris said mysteriously. "Cloud's stubborn is a brand all its own; you should know that, silly."

Sephiroth looked at her askance. _Silly?_

Aeris just laughed.

Cloud muttered something in his sleep and rolled over, blankets falling half off the bed in the process. Before Aeris could reach to fix them, their silver General had pulled them to their right position and tucked their blond to bed.

"It's up to him now, really," Aeris said, a sad look on her face. Sephiroth gave a sigh to that; if Cloud was one thing it was stubborn. If he didn't have the memories, or didn't want to remember, what were the two of them to do? "Oh don't look like that!" Aeris chided. "I'm sure with you better, and the Darkness gone from your Heart, things will come back to him and his stubborn will _make_ him remember if nothing else."

Sure enough, when Cloud rolled over again, dazed blue eyes stared at him and then at Aeris in confusion. "Sir, what's Aeris doing here?"

Perhaps he needed some more sleep. Aeris just smiled and went with it. "You got hurt, silly!" she chided. "I came to fix you!"

"Oh," Cloud said lamely, his eyes trying to focus and failing. "Good. I'm not feeling too good."

"You managed to gain a concussion worthy of an award," Sephiroth played along.

Cloud hummed. "Would 'splain things."

Aeris admonished him with a cluck before sending a Cure and a Sleep at him. "He'll remember." Aeris decided. The finality in her statement reassured Sephiroth. The three of them had all the Time in the Worlds.


	9. Overactive Imagination: Reno

AN: This was originally posted in two parts. How are all y'all on the East Coast of the US likin' that snow? We have 2-3ft in Pittsburgh.

* * *

**Title:** The Product of an Overactive Imagination  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Reno, some language  
**Word count:** 3,026  
**Prompt:** 10- Final Fantasy VII, Reno: antics - It didn't make sense not to live for fun/your brain gets smart, but your head gets dumb  
**Summary:** Reno being Reno.

Tseng was not amused. There was a reason why Reno was allowed to drink and smoke on the clock; it prevented him from thinking. Not that he didn't think enough, Tseng mused as he carefully wandered into his office. He just thought _enough_ when he was under the influence of something. Tseng got to his desk and turned around, making a survey of his office.

He had no idea when the redhead had come into the office, or his for that matter, but it must have been early if his scribbling and doodles pasted all over the walls were anything to go by. They got messier and messier as time progressed; the sloppy handwriting becoming nigh on illegible as the plans progressed. It was probably intentional, since, upon further study of the doodles that unfortunately looked like plans, they were written in slum drawl short hand—a dialect of Common he was not one hundred percent familiar with.

Rubbing his temples, he prayed to Leviathan, Ramuh, and any other god that was listening that Reno lived to see tomorrow.

* * *

Green eyes popped open, wide awake, with no reason as to why they should be open. He remembered bits and pieces of the mission he had gone on the day before, remembered getting thrown into a wall head first, colours, words, he whacked something good with his EMR, then Rude was over him with a materia and a hypo.

He'd been tranq'd.

Scowling, Reno sat up in bed, running his hand through his hair. He felt like he'd been sleeping for ages. Looking at his watch, the device read a measly 23:00. If his spotty memory was anything to go by, he'd been out since daylight; he was going to assume seventeen or eighteen hundred hours. Waaaaaaaaay too much sleep for the likes of him. Even growing up, Reno had never slept that long.

Stretching and hauling himself out of bed, the redhead threw some clothes on—a suit that didn't smell and wasn't as wrinkled as the rest—and headed to work; ideas coming and going through his mind like the wind in trees he'd finally seen when he became a Turk.

Reno froze, foot mid step still in the air, eyes wide, as an idea came to him. It was crazy. It was ingenious. His shocked face melted into a devious smile. It was brilliant. _It didn't make sense not to live for fun, after all, _he thought. _Your brain gets smart, but your head gets dumb_.

Instead of entering through the front doors, the Turk entered through the air ducts and scurried his way to his office where he kept a rather spiffed up laptop. Reno then proceeded to hack into the security system and loop the feed with yesterdays shift in several hallways and offices for the next few hours.

Heading over to Tseng's office, since who would bother to look for him there, the ex-Slum Rat brought with him a pad of paper, crayon's he'd nicked from that girl at the Heaven with pigtails, and a mind working too efficiently for its own good.

Hours later, the Turk ran out of the office, one plan laid out and executed with three more to go.

* * *

Tseng didn't realize that the doodles only hid the real damage. Underneath the pencil sketches—some of which were quite good—were crayon doodles…that weren't on paper. The hideous drawings were done on the sheetrock the walls were comprised of. Tseng thought he recognized Scarlet, only because she was doodled in a red crayon, and a demonic rendition of Sephiroth was doing quite…hideous…things to her. There was a detailed anatomical drawing of the male and female body with notes on certain parts and pressure points…and was that really possible? Tseng reread that passage, examined the two drawings, then decided that it might be possible.

Deciding that the drawings could wait till lunch, despite the horrible caricatures of his former and current coworkers, Tseng sat down on his chair and went to open the drawers of his desk.

They didn't budge. Any of them.

That was when the chemical scent of glue reached his nose and his eyes caught the sticky note on his pristine desk.

_Take the day off, Boss. Yer gonna need it. ~Red._

With a wonderful headache already in place, Tseng put his name down in his computer as off on an important mission, and headed home. With Reno on the loose, he'd deal with it tomorrow.

* * *

Rufus, Reno decided, needed to lighten up. He knew someone in the slums that had crossed Guard Hounds with Bandersnatches for illegal fighting purposes, and he currently had a litter of puppies needing to be trained or sold. Knowing that the Prez had a soft spot for adorable furry creatures, Reno sent out a text before heading out of the building and down to Sector Four. Reno wandered around from shadow to shadow until he caught the faint sound of barking and cheering. Skulking towards the noise, he found the dog fight in full swing.

Casually, to the guy next to him, he said, "Betcha 'underd gil blackie there wins."

"Yer on."

Ten minutes later, the pie-bald dog was down and the black dog was being hauled out of the ring as the winner. Reno turned to the guy, making a grabbing motion. Grumbling, the man forked over the hundred gil and ambled off. Whistling a tune, the redhead went out back to where the breeders were with their dogs. Silence met his appearance. "Enny'n here known' where I cn find one Geoff Forks?"

"'Round the corn'r ta yer right," someone spoke. "Nun' a us want truble."

"Not lookin' ta start nun here," Reno drawled as he made his way through the crowd. The dogs usually vicious creatures, happily barked and wagged their tails at his passing. Reno found Geoff right where the one dude said he'd be, and the man had a bitch with puppies with him as well. "Jus' th' man I wanted ta see!"

Geoff looked up at the proclamation to see the redheaded Turk. "Yer after a pup?"

Reno nodded.

After looking through the litter of thirteen, Reno ended up picking a little black one with purple eyes. It reminded him a bit of Dark Nation, but the eye colour was definitely influenced by the Bandersnatch blood and not the Guard Hound. Paying the man for the pup, he returned to work and broke into Rufus' office; setting out bowls for water and food and he put down a folded fluffy quilt he bought in Walmarket for the puppy to sleep on.

Smothering laughter, Reno disappeared into the air shafts once more to make his way to his next victim.

* * *

Rufus got an odd look from his secretary when he came into work the next morning. He figured it was because his attire was a bit different than usual; the cleaners had messed up on his usual purple vests forcing him to wear his green one that was reserved for the holidays.

"Any calls I should know about, Sharon?" the young president inquired.

"No, Sir," Sharon dutifully replied. "I placed some files on your desk and cleaned your office."

A bit perplexed about the cleaning part, Rufus thanked the woman and entered his office….

…where he was immediately tackled by a whining, barking, licking creature that could only be a puppy. For only puppies were this enthusiastic about anything in life. He was shocked into stillness long enough for the puppy to crawl onto his chest and sit, making himself quite comfortable. Rufus, swore loudly, before grabbing the puppy and returning to the outer office.

"Sharon, what is this?" Rufus asked, pointing to the energetic black ball of fur that was squirming under his arm.

"I think it's a puppy, sir," Sharon carefully replied.

"What is it doing in my office?"

Sharon looked confused. "I thought you put him there, Sir; there was a note on your desk about it."

Rufus looked at her for a moment before returning to his office; door slamming behind him. Making his way to his desk, puppy now bounding about on the floor after him, there was the note that Sharon mentioned.

_Sharon, don't mind the puppy. RS_

Rufus would have assumed he'd written the note if he knew for certain he hadn't. The forgery was very good, however, and only the Turks knew how he held his writing utensils to be able to forge something this good. Knowing that the Turks valued their lives and his, and that there really was only one dumb—or suicidal—enough to try something of this magnitude, he picked up his phone to dial Tseng to find out where Reno was today.

_"You've reached the voice mail of Tseng; Commander of the Turks. I'm out of the office for reasons you don't need to know of. Leave a message, and I'll get back to you."_

Rufus scowled, hanging up before the beep. Frosty blue eyes stared down at the puppy who was sitting diligently at his feet, gazing up at him with purple eyes. When he was younger, there had been that Soldier recruit, what's his name—some emotion—that had had eyes that same colour. Fair; Zack Fair. Curious, the blond man pulled up the Soldier's file and, sure enough, the beaming, purple eyed face of Zack Fair looked out at him from his computer; the puppy's coat rather reminiscent of the youth's ridiculous hair. Reading the comments his teachers had made about him, the President wasn't sure if he wanted his dog to emulate his tentative namesake as things tended to do around him. Dark Nation had been rather foreboding and broody when he wanted to be.

Looking the puppy over more closely, noting the rather large feet, the wild, almost feral look in its eyes, before deciding he rather liked the puppy, firmly denying that its overall adorable factor had nothing to do with it.

"Your name is Anselm," Rufus informed the puppy. "If you loo on my floor, I will shoot you. Speak if you need to go, and I'll take you to a plant, understand?"

The puppy barked and wriggled happily.

This looked like it would work out.

* * *

Now Reno wasn't all heartless and bloodthirsty and stupid as most in the new ShinRa believed him to be. Pondering over that thought, he realized that that only applied something like twenty percent of the time. Shrugging, the man hacked through various files and bank accounts until he found the particular one he was looking for.

Rubeus Timberland was a native of Corel that had been hit pretty hard by the Crisis and Meteor, and from what he had overheard from others, barely making ends meet which transferred over to tension between him and his girl. With their wedding on hold, and good ol' Tim taking extra hours, speculation was doubtful that there'd be a wedding at all. Taking funds out of several accounts that shall not be named, the Turk forged a letter from his higher ups and gave the lad a vacation to get with his girl proper, and the money to do so.

Besides, he had been pretty heartless and mean to the man over the years; sneaking in and out of the door he guarded at all hours of the night. Whistling something from the Golden Saucer, the redhead made his way to his final destination of the night.

* * *

Guard Timberland, called Tim by all his friends, trudged into work after a particularly bad night. The evening had started out so well, too, with dinner and music and ambiance. Then they somehow got into an argument over something and the night had gone to shit after that. Rubbing his face, he went to clock in when Jennings spluttered and choked on his coffee.

"What are you doing here, Tim?" the other guard asked.

"Working?" Tim inquired. He needed all the money he could get. Then he realized that Jennings usually worked the weekends, taking the opposite of his shift. "What are you doing here?"

"Working," Jennings replied. "You're on vacation."

"I can't afford vacation," Tim replied.

Jennings just gave the man a sealed manila envelope. Curious, Tim opened it to find a missive from his CO saying in not so many words that he didn't want to be seen in 4 months and that his wedding better be good and there better be pictures and cake when he came back.

What the hell?

"When did this happen? My girl and I don't have enough money for a wedding!" Tim exclaimed.

Jennigs shrugged. "I hear you, man; but the CO said to walk."

Worried and confused, Tim bid his friend farewell as he left the compound. As he trudged through post-Meteor Midgar, he got to thinking; his CO knew that he needed the money the mundane shifts no one wanted paid. Meandering over to an ATM, Tim checked his balance and nearly freaked. He'd never in his entire life had that much money at his disposal. What was that, six significant values? Paling, he teetered over to a bench and sat down, the receipt of his transaction clutched in his hand.

He didn't know how long he sat on that bench, but he figured someone upstairs was looking out for him after dealing with that hellspawn of a Turk all hours of the day. Coming back to himself, Rubeus Timberland couldn't help the stupid grin that grew on his face before running home to his girl to give her the good news. If they planned right, they could have a good wedding and have some left over for a nest egg.

But first, he had to buy a good camera to capture the look on her face when she saw their bank account.

* * *

Cloud had always been an asshole since he got away from Hojo, Reno mused. Then again, ShinRa really hadn't done much good for the kid, and Hojo really turned most people off of life and other living people in general. Sephiroth was a prime example; the scientist made the poor guy think he was a monster and then he went off to destroy the world.

Didn't think that's what Hojo had in mind.

Anyway, the redheaded Turk had to be extra stealthy as he approached Seventh Heaven; the bar was closed for the night—it was around 03:00 hours, maybe 04:00 if he bothered to look at his watch, but either way, Cloud would be high strung from a night of bouncing, not that the exExperiment-exSoldier-exFailed-Sephiroth-Clone wasn't high strung to begin with; the guy needed to be on tranq's or downers or something.

Come to think of it, most people had though the guy needed to be on some kind of upper before the Remnant catastrophe.

Anyway, listening and staking the establishment out, Reno decided that everyone had gone to bed and he made his move. Carefully going around the front of the bar, Reno slipped around the side and made his way to the back where he let out a low whistle. There, in the low light, perfection gleamed. Fenrir truly was a sight to behold; all dark and chrome and shiny. He wondered how many chocobo's the engine revved at, seeing as it was a custom job. Word on the street was the blond had built the thing from scratch after his Hardy Daytona had been damaged beyond repair during his trekking about Gaia in the Crisis. And that beast had been tinkered with had—at production line quality—put out 1200 choc' power.

He almost felt bad about what he was going to do.

The little asshole should have thought twice about throwing him out of the bar into the pile of garbage the week before. He could have just as easily tossed him on the equally grubby curb.

Cracking his knuckles, the Turk—who was in a very Turk-like mood—whipped out some tools from his pocket before going to work.

* * *

Tifa watched Cloud reenter the bar almost as soon as he had left it to go on a delivery. Now, he did this every so often, so Tifa wasn't concerned. What had her worried, however, was the lost look on the blond's face and his watery eyes. "Cloud?" she inquired.

He looked at her proper and, indeed, his beautiful glowing blue eyes were full of tears he refused to let fall. She hadn't seen him cry since back in Nibelheim when he got bullied, since she didn't count severe physical trauma and injuries—those hurt like a bitch. Setting the glass she was cleaning on the bar as Cloud teetered over to a chair, Tifa quickly made her way to her fellow Nibelheimer.

"Cloud, what's wrong?" the brunette inquired.

Cloud made a distressed noise and waved his hand in the air in the general direction he had come from. Worried, Tifa gave him a look before he gazed pathetically at her and motioned again to the backdoor. Glancing at him once more to make sure that that was what he wanted her to do, the bar owner made her way over to the door and peered out where Cloud kept his motorcycle.

Or rather, what was left of his motorcycle.

The pretty beast that was dubbed Fenrir at its completion was in disarray; professionally disassembled and the pieces assembled by type and size on a tarp next to the piping and frame work of the motorcycle.

"Oh dear," Tifa murmured as a sob came from inside the bar. She had an idea of who probably did it, but Cloud had been having crap deliveries recently and been attempting to get drunk every night this week and mildly succeeding. Sighing, knowing that the blond would be inconsolable until he accepted reality—which with him could take anywhere from a day to a few months—Tifa went behind the bar to mix up what Vincent usually ordered.

Hey, if it got him and his demons shitfaced in three drinks, it would work for Cloud.


	10. Dance in the Dark: VincentCloud

**Title:** Dance in the Dark  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** implied violence and sex  
**Word count:** 533  
**Prompt:** 12- Final Fantasy VII, Vincent/Cloud: weapon play – Despite the sword being his weapon of Choice, Cloud still remembered how to use a gun.  
**Summary:** Vincent walks into his room to find Cloud touching his possessions.  
**A/N:** I kinda reworded it a bit, sorry. I didn't know how to word it right in the situation I threw it in. This was done a while ago, but my computer crashed--through my roommate flipping breakers--hence why none of my prompts were posted on time. I had such a wonderful ending, T__T, I went " F it." Here's the rewritten version. So sorry it's late.

* * *

Vincent froze in the door of his room. Tifa was nice enough to give him his own space at the bar she ran, and kept it clean and orderly for him as well, but there was something bright in it that didn't belong. Namely, one Cloud Strife; not that Vincent had anything against the blond exSolder-Experiment. What Vincent couldn't decide if he liked or not, was the fact that Cloud was handling his guns.

Not that he was doing a poor job, mind you; quite the opposite in fact. Cerberus was to one side and shone brilliantly in the dim light. His Quicksilver Pistol practically glowed in the low light. Next to that was his precious Hydra—a lovely rifle if he did say so himself.

He must have been giving Cloud a strange look as he admired his weapons for the exSoldier's glowing blue eyes focused on him. "As Cadets, we weren't allowed to use swords outside of weapon's class, and when I ended up in the Guard, guns were their main weapon."

As if that explained everything.

"I have never seen you touch a gun since I've known you," Vincent murmured.

"Just because the sword is my weapon of choice doesn't mean I don't remember how to use a gun," Cloud informed him, a smirk on his youthful face—frozen so much like his own—devious laughter dancing in his eyes. Vincent eyed the barrel he was cleaning in his hand.

"Why are you in my room?"

Cloud shrugged as he examined the barrel, before deciding it was clean and reassembling the spring loading mechanism and placing it back in its casing. "No one goes in your room; thought it would be a safe place to hide."

Vincent raised a questioning eyebrow. "Since when do you hide?"  
Cloud sighed, the assembly of one of his revolvers complete, the blond rubbed the outer casing down before placing it on the bed next to Cerberus and Quicksilver.

"Since I'm avoiding Tifa."

Vincent nodded. He would avoid Tifa if he could, but she somehow always picked him out in a room unless he was utilizing some of Chaos' gifts to blend with shadows. A gift she had probably developed trying to locate the man that was cleaning his equipment in his dark room. The gunman watched as Cloud went through his weapons, hands assured in their actions, as if he'd done them hundreds of times before. His other weapons soon joined Cerberus and Quicksilver on the quilt on his bed; Hydra, Griffon, and various other shotguns and rifles.

Vincent slowly took a step further into his room and softly closed the door, the latch in the jam the loudest sound he'd heard yet. Cloud barely glanced up from laying the recoil in the barrel, making sure it was straight, frowning, before pulling it out and resetting it. As his boots made nearly nonexistence noise on the floor, Cloud glanced up; a heated look in those blue eyes.

Perhaps there was a different weapon Cloud had had in mind to clean when he had taken refuge. Sitting on the bed next to Cloud, the blond setting down another gun, Vincent was going to find out.


	11. KH: Check the Box For: SephCloud

Lol, I guess I lied back in Chapter 8; here's another KH bit. I kinda like this idea lots.

* * *

**Title:** Check the Box For...  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Implications of sex and graphic situations  
**Word count:** 392  
**Prompt:** 26- Kingdom Hearts, Sephiroth/Cloud: xeno - Sometimes they reminded everyone of their inhumanity.  
**Summary**: Sephiroth and Cloud are compared to the others they live with in Radiant Garden  
**A/N:** Again, Sorry it's late. I had fun writing this though. I might expand on the idea.

* * *

Sometimes they reminded everyone of their inhumanity, and it was always the little things.

When most people retired to sleep for the evening, Sephiroth and Cloud bid them goodnight and would have breakfast ready on the table in the morning. No one was sure if they had slept the night before or not, but in a drunken haze, Cloud had once divulged that he and Sephiroth maybe slept four to six hours twice a week; Sephiroth only sleeping because Cloud did and he would be bored otherwise.

Their eyes could illuminate any room they were in if the power wasn't on. Often times, if the two of them were home alone, they wouldn't notice it had gotten dark as they read or played chess or some other strategy game until the others returned from wherever thy had gone and turned them on.

Leon had once been laying shingles on a roof, misstepped and would have fallen to a most unpleasant injury if not death had Sephiroth, who was at the end of the street, not bolted and caught the man in a swirl of leather and dark feathers.

Yuffie pranked and picked on everyone, but was always courteous and somewhat calm around the two even when she downed a pitcher or two of Kool-Aid. When Sora had inquired about it, Yuffie had given him a look like he was stupid and replied, "I'd like to live long enough to get boobs, thanks."

They could be heard fighting on nights of the full moon, the clang of metal, the swish of leather duster and tattered cape the lullaby they fell asleep to as the echoes reverberated from the Crystal Fissure. If there were sounds that sounded like fighting of another kind, and faded bruises around Cloud's neck come morning, no one commented.

Yet despite their oddities, a smile was never remiss of them, greetings and hugs—albeit slightly reluctant on Sephiroth's part—were given in abundance. Breakfast always had everyone's favourite food, and they did laundry on Sundays.

Sometimes however…

Just…

Blood ran hot, tender memories came to the fore, and they would disappear for days returning battered and bruised and living on with injuries that would down any one of the others for days, reminding everyone yet again that despite outward appearances and how they acted, they just weren't quite human enough.


	12. KH: I Spy SomethingWhut?: Sora,SephCloud

**Title:** I Spy Something...Whut?  
**Rating:** OT+ (ie: 16+)  
**Warnings:** Sora being voyeuristic, obvious implication of sex  
**Word count:** 357  
**Prompt:** July 8 - Kingdom Hearts, Sora + Sephiroth/Cloud: unintentional voyeurism - Is that physically possible?  
**Summary:** All Sora had been doing was walking down the hall-perhaps he'd go to the kitchen, get something to drink. Then there had been sounds...curious sounds...  
**A/N:** This was the first thing that came to mind. I do hope the requester enjoyed it. :3

* * *

_Is that physically possible?_ Sora asked himself, despite the evidence before him. Something in him was screaming at him to continue on his way—he shouldn't be seeing this, it was private, he hadn't been invited—but a larger something in his mind had him poised in mid step, large blue eyes staring at the impossible display before him…fascinated.

Absolutely fascinated.

It was almost as if Cloud was a contortionist, bent almost in half with Sephiroth doing…

_…was that even comfortable?_

Apparently so because Cloud let out a deep…sound…that Sora didn't know whether or not it was a groan or a moan, but whatever the noise was it was full of a heartfelt emotion. He was starting to feel uncomfortable, but he thought that was more from his leg being held in the air and him stopped mid-stride than what was going on in Cloud's room.  
He swallowed hard.

Green eyes snapped to his with a look Sora hadn't seen since Riku left. What the keyblader could only call an evil smile grew on Sephiroth's face before he leaned over and whispered something in Cloud's ear. Cloud shuddered and groaned, Sephiroth's eyes now locked on Cloud. The blond's mouth was moving, Sora couldn't hear what he was saying, but it made Sephiroth chuckle.

Sora shuddered.

Clomping with a purpose footsteps down the hall had Sora finish putting his foot down and continuing down the hall, what he had initially been doing before a sound had grabbed his attention. He fought viciously with his face, making sure that he wasn't blushing. When Leon turned the corner, Sora paused, cheery smile on his face and a greeting out of his mouth before he knew it. Leon replied in kind, all stoic and poised hurdy dur; the usual.

"Have you seen Cloud?"

Leon's innocent question brought a blush so fast to Sora's face…

"No!" Sora blurted, dashing past Leon and down the hall. There was no way he was telling Leon…_that_. A strangled sound escaped him at the thought of it. Heartless, that's what he needed to do. Find some heartless and kill them with Donald and Goofy.


	13. It's a Lunchbox?: TR gen

**Title:** It's a Lunchbox?

**Words:** 563

**Rating: **T for hinted at drug use and severe injury

**Prompt: **- **Final Fantasy VII**, Reno/Tseng (gen or not): technology – _"This is my thing detector; goes 'ding!' when there's stuff."_

**Summary: **To keep himself busy after a devastating mission lands Rude in the hospital, Reno gets his gadgets out and starts experimenting. Little does he know that he's about to get a guest.

* * *

It wasn't something that the Turks actively talked about; something that really only a select few knew about. After the really rough missions, the ones that usually caused severe trauma of one kind or another, those agents were always watched. Just to make sure that they were not only mentally sound, but not about to snap and murder untold hundreds of people. So naturally, when two of his best Turks came back from quite the ordeal of a mission that had Rude in the hospital convalescing, Tseng felt he, as the Head Turk and the one who assigned them the mission, should check in on Reno.

...It had nothing to do with Reno's penchant for trouble at all or his suspected pranks with a purple eyed Soldier (there was inconclusive evidence as to who the perpetrators of the crimes were).

So when Tseng knocked on Reno's apartment door he was surprised to hear a muffled, "'S'open!" hollered. Reno always examined his guest before opening the door and allowing them entry.

Tseng entered and was accosted by...stuff.

Not stuff in a hoarder's sense, but electronics; there were wires in a bin and spark plugs in another. Motherboards, transponders and breakers and soldering irons and a multitude of other bits and pieces and odds and ends that he couldn't identify. In the middle of all the chaos was a mussed redhead with grease in his ponytail.

"Is that a lunchbox?" Tseng asked as he carefully maneuvered around all the stacks and piles.

"Was," Reno replied as he did some finishing touches and closed and latched the little tin box.

"Was?" Tseng queried. Just where had Reno found all these odds and ends and the time to compile them in such a way? Just then the contraption dinged a few times. Reno laughed hysterically when Tseng's phone rang.

"YES!"

Tseng, glanced at his phone, noted who called and then proceeded to ignore the call. "What is that precisely?"

"This is my thing detector; goes 'ding!' when there's stuff," Reno eloquently explained. "Right now I have it set ta pickin' up th' waves that signal a phone call before the devices themselves connect. I theorized that the waves the data make going from one device ta another make a disturbance that could be picked up..."

As Reno prattled on about abstract physics theory that Tseng just grasped, the Wutaian just observed the younger man. His red hair was greasy, not just from the lubricant he was using on his electronics, his skin was pale and his hands had a slight tremor to them as he waved and gesticulated about his creation. His eyes, however, and an eerie glow to them.

So Reno had been visiting some of the more unsavory dives in the Slums that ShinRa probably didn't know about if they were making Glow drinks.

And Reno was one of those few who could make himself fit in anywhere in any kind of crowd.

"...an' then ya walked in," Reno finished.

"Perhaps it's time you went to bed," Tseng replied. "It seems like you haven't slept since you got back."

"Tha's'a good idea, Boss," Reno amiably agreed. "Night."

"Good Night, Reno," Tseng replied as he watched Reno stumble to a door the led, presumably, to his bedroom.

Both knew that the device he created wasn't going to be in the apartment when the redhead woke up.

* * *

A/N: Shameless plug for Doctor Who. I'm NOT DEAD! (yet)

_posted 12December2012_


	14. Playing with your Food: RZ gen

**Title:** Playing with your Food  
**Rating:** K+  
**Warnings:** some foul language  
**Word count:** 486  
**Prompt:** - **Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core**, Zack/Reno: lunchtime - _"I wonder if illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?"_  
**Summary:** Reno and Zack eating Lunch

* * *

Now, there were many things about SOLDIER which led it to be a boring, dreary, trying job. So when Zack Fair joined he was the prodigal incarnation of Optimism. No mission was too hard, no mission was too dull, every mission had a purpose; something to teach. It was no wonder that Angeal had nicknamed him 'Puppy' which caught and ran rampant through the SOLDIER troops like a match to gas.

Zack Fair's optimism was only rivaled by a new redheaded Turk's sarcasm and wit.

The day that Zack Fair met Turk Reno was the first day of the End.

Whenever Turk Reno wasn't in the field or on a Local Assignment, the two relatively new additions to ShinRa could be seen together. At first, no one thought anything of it; the boy from the Slums friending the boy from the middle of the provincial jungle: both wilderness of different kinds. Two people just helping each other getting acclimated to the cut throat ways of the company. The two could be seen during free time-not that they had much of that, mind-with notebooks and pencils, pens, markers, and crayons (no one asked where the Turk had gotten crayons from).

Curious, but not unduly so.

Now, it wasn't a widely known fact-as in just about anybody that knew was dead-that when Reno came to ShinRa, other than recognizing his name, Reno didn't know much else. A fast track course had him reading and writing like someone born to it, but the Turk never forgot where he came from and the times Zack had helped him to understand certain nuances that, with his ever flowing optimism, let him see that so few others did. If he hadn't been so loud and gung-ho, Reno would've suggested he join him in the Turks. As he mused over that thought as Zack rambled to him about something in line in the 56th Floor Cafeteria.

Trying to remember the briefing he read last night plastered out of his mind for his mission this evening, Reno nodded as Zack said something that apparently concluded his story while the Turk dunked his bread in his soup. He absently noted Zack was pulling bits out of his soup, probably shit he didn't like-he himself did it at times and damn what Tseng said about vitamins and nutrients-Reno nearly choked when Zack absently asked, spooning another something onto his napkin, queried, " I wonder if illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?"

Focusing on the here and now, because if Reno was honest with himself there was no way he was going to remember that damn report, the redhead looked up to see Zack smiling mischievously and '_Reno forgot his briefing, lol'_ with a bean and a pea for an exclamation point on the end.

Reno gave Zack a Not Amused look as the SOLDIER burst out laughing.

* * *

_posted 14december2012_


	15. Two Shades Darker: ZC

**Title:** Two Shades Darker  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** implied excessive drinking  
**Word count:** 478  
**Prompt:** - **Final Fantasy VII**, Zack/Cloud: underwear – _Only Zack could have talked him into this_  
**Summary:** Not all surprises at the Doctor's come from the Doctor.

* * *

He was in the infirmary. Again. This time, it was due to physical examinations. Half his troop was bright eyed and bushy tailed. The other half, himself included, were bleary-eyed to say the least. It had been someone's birthday and that had entailed them all going to the Slums to trash the poor kid, Privet Stelling or Privet Starling or something like that. If Cloud was honest with himself, after meeting Zack-who was with some redhead in a suit-the rest of the night got...fuzzy.

"Privet Strife," an orderly called into the waiting room. A guy next to him groaned as Cloud vacating his seat allowed more light into the poor kid's eyes. Cloud vaguely remembered him drinking a few shots of Cactuar Juice, but the throbbing in his own head had him fuzzily focusing on the here and now. The orderly nodded to him as he got to the door and with a curt, "follow me," Cloud was led to a blessedly shadowed room on the side of the infirmary where the sun wasn't quite yet. A closed blind showed the window blocking the harsh morning light they had marched through to get here.

"Put this on," the orderly said as she handed him a typical hospital gown. "I'll be back shortly to take a few measurements and then the Doctor will see you."

"Ok," was the soft reply from Cloud. The orderly nodded and left.

Cloud untucked his shirt and unbuttoned it; the blond got a wiff of beer as it came off and started the pile on the floor. His boots were next. Cloud wrinkled his nose at the smell of his socks but that couldn't be helped. His belt was next. As he unbuttoned his pants, his thumbs brushed against unfamiliar fabric. Cloud hoped it wasn't someone else's underwear. Holding his breath, Cloud closed his eyes, unbuttoned the pants, and shucked them off his slim hips. He opened his eyes and wished he hadn't.

Hugging his hips was a pair of lacey, silk and satin underwear that was a few shades darker than his eyes.

Wide eyed he stared at his reflection in the mirror, frantically trying to remember _exactly_ what had happened last night after he had run into Zack and only remembered smiling purple eyes, an almost continuous flow of alcohol, and the stumbling, laughing, loud traverse from bar to bar to dive to bar.

A soft knock on the door had Cloud in the gown with it tied all the way to the bottom before the orderly had the door open enough to enter. When the orderly left and Cloud was sitting on the table waiting for the Doctor, he shifted back and forth; the alien soft feel of the underwear he was wearing playing against his skin. He shook his head.

Only Zack could have talked him into this.

* * *

_posted 2January2013_


End file.
